Category: For Business

Two weeks ago I was attending a course at the University of Georgia when our instructor lead us into a most interesting conversation about “a mission statement”. This writing exercise wasn’t about a corporate statement, but rather a life statement that embodied both our professional & personal life. In many cases, the collective “we” keep those two areas of our lives separate and work to find balance between the two. Yet, as I was challenged to create a statement that merged these two lives together, I wanted to envelop my desire to succeed as a working professional, an avid believer in volunteerism and a family man. The result of that effort is what has now become my personal & professional mission statement.

Personal & Professional Mission Statement –

“I intend to help others by fostering individual achievement, mentor organizational development to firms that I am passionate towards and provide coaching to those who have that desire to maximize their personal and professional development.

Living with the belief that I can achieve anything in life that I desire by first helping others achieve their goals will be the cornerstone of my work ethic and I will gain great satisfaction in knowing that I have helped others.

I intend to live a life of purpose… to be a great husband, father, son and friend to those in my life”.

What is your mission statement? Would you be willing to share it? I would love to post a collection of various personal & professional mission statements so those seeking inspiration might find this resource valuable.

Success or failure, advancement or setback, security or fear, fulfillment or deep void, are all a result of decisions we make, the course of action we set for ourselves, the path we ultimately choose to take.

As I get older, and hopefully a bit wiser, I better understand that where I am right now in my life is largely due to decisions that I made five, ten or even twenty years ago. I further understand that most setbacks and failures in my life were self-imposed and with few exceptions were a result based on a decision made some time earlier in my life. And for those successes I have enjoyed, the same rule applies giving myself at least partial credit for good choices made at some earlier point in life. So, as I consider that fact, I have to ask myself this, “Why do some people always find themselves unhappy, unfulfilled or always struggling to get ahead?”

On June 26, 2011 I was attending an event in Savannah, Georgia. The keynote speaker was a man who I knew little about, yet he made a statement that helped to provide clarity to the question I had been seeking my answer for. Andy Andrews, an author, speaker and trusted advisor, offered the following comment, “It’s not what you say… it’s what you do that matters.”

With a desire to fully embrace those simple words, I stepped up my reading about personal improvement, leadership and studied success stories of individuals who had accomplished remarkable things. During my reading, there was always one personal trait that was constant. Every person who is successful (and might I say define success however you desire) was a “doer”. That’s right, it’s what you do that matters.

I have worked to put that principle of being a “doer” into action with my life and have shared this principle with a few friends and share it now with you. Ask yourself this… are you happy with your career choice? Do you complain about all of the problems at work or complain about your personal situation? Have you simply carried these feelings of uneasiness or unhappiness inside you or have you made a change? If you dislike your employer, have you searched for a new job? If your relationship with someone important to you is not going well, do you sit there and silently complain or are you seeking to make that relationship better? Remember, it’s what you do that matters.

Whether in business or your personal life, remember that where you are today is based on decisions made some time earlier in your life. Where you will be in five years is based on decisions you make today. Become a leader of your own life, your own destiny and don’t be afraid to make a positive change. It’s not what you say, but what you do that matters.

Like this:

“Trust your passion, identify your dreams, and find the courage to share them with others, no matter how many times they shall call you a fool. If your vision has merit, no matter how impossible it may seem, someone will recognize it and help you make it come true. That is the practical power of a well founded dream.”